Thomas’ dog, Equinox (Knox for short), has sat at my feet for nearly a half hour before he gets up and walks around, sniffing in corners or kissing his other mom, Joelle. With his calm history and demeanor, Knox is the antithesis of the violent and rancorous stereotype. He uses this power for good and trains other dogs (all breeds) to act the same. Through the All Star Training Program with the Maryland SPCA, Knox helps to leash train dogs. All he needs to do is sit and calmly wait while the other dogs, on leashes, learn to not react dramatically when they see another dog. The fact that any dog can perform as a “Reactive Rover” in this program shows that dogs are trained to behave the way they do. The fact that Knox, a pit bull, performs so well proves that pit bulls’ qualities can be those of any other dog: calmness, patience, and helpfulness. Beyond his help with the SPCA, Knox also educates elementary school children about breed discrimination and stereotypes through Project Mickey, a program with Jasmine’s House. Jasmine’s House is a pit bull rescue, developed, “for pit bulls and kids”. The goal of Project Mickey is to teach inner city elementary school children how to approach dogs, what animal cruelty is, and to debunk the stereotypes surrounding pit bulls. Knox acts as a critical part on a diverse team of dogs to show the children that pit bulls are no more dangerous than any other dog. “Starting with kids is really key,” Thomas says. “They are the ones that can end this bad reputation, so they have to know the truth.” Knox is an alum of the Maryland SPCA, where Thomas is the Fostering Coordinator. Nichole Miller, the Director of Operations, admits that there was some caution to admitting pit bulls into the shelter. “We’ve had to work very hard to forget the stereotypes and treat them like every other dog that comes into the shelter.” Miller says that staff and volunteers alike are now encouraged to see personality over breed. Despite the training and understanding that the staff and volunteers of MDSPCA may have, the common person is still likely to actively avoid pit bulls. “We have so many pit bulls; they are the dogs that usually stay the longest in the shelter,” Miller notes. It is not necessarily a surprising fact, especially because, as Miller puts it, “pit bulls have been dangerous since the 90s.” Thomas also cited other breeds that have faced the same discrimination and stigma that pit bulls now face. “First it was the Dobermans, then Rottweilers, and now it’s pit bulls. And it’s been years.” The stigma
has hit pit bull lovers harder than any other breed discrimination, though. Miller elaborates, “There are counties were pit bulls are banned [which] keeps these dogs in the shelters longer.” In Maryland, the following towns/ counties have banned pit bulls: Port Deposit in Cecil County, Prince George’s County, and Ridgley in Caroline County. Thomas has been able to combat this by building a resumé for Knox, citing his community involvement and extensive training. Of course the 2014 Maryland law declaring that pit bulls are not “inherently dangerous”, and the liability transference from landlords to owners, helped persuade landlords to allow pit bulls in the to live on the property. Just like every other bias, this stigma affects lives. Not only does it limit the places these dogs can live, but it also affects the conditions in which they live, or even if they live. MDSPCA has been extremely successful with its 95% live release rate, meaning that 95% of the dogs that arrive at the shelter also leave alive. Not every organization is as successful, and not every dog is as lucky.
Above everything, Miller notes that they are completely honest about all of the animals in the shelter—especially the pit bulls. “We tell you everything we know about a dog ahead of time: medical and family history, whether they are good with cats or best with other dogs, everything we know. We just want to make the best match for people and animals.” Knowing the personality of a dog before knowing what it looks like or its breed can lead to a beautiful connection that the person had never imagined before. To Thomas, owning a pit bull has put an extra emphasis on changing people’s minds about pit bulls. “When you adopt a bully [breed dog], you have to be prepared to fight the fight.” For Thomas, as well as the entire staff at MDSPCA, fighting has meant promoting education and reversing the stigma of pit bulls. The goal is to drive people away from the image of a snarling, rabid demon, and closer to the more realistic image of the snoring angel lying by the fire. If you feel passionate about the lives and reputation of pit bulls, please check out the numerous pit bull dog rescues in the Baltimore area, including Maryland SPCA, Jasmine’s House and Pitties&Purrs Rescue. Spring 2017 • 25